Expect “Intermittent Traffic Stops” Friday Morning in Kingston
Not like there are many places for us to go, but if you're heading out of town this weekend you may want to take this into consideration.
The Town of Ulster Town Clerk announced on Facebook that there would be a traffic stop throughout the day on Friday, July 24th.
In the Facebook announcement, the Ulster Town Clerk explained that starting at midnight on the 24th and going until 5 am there will be " intermittent traffic stops" at Exit 19 at the Kingston Interchange.
The Town Clerk explained in further detail saying " These stops will only affect traffic entering and exiting the Thruway, at the Kingston Interchange (Exit 19) [Town of Ulster, Ulster County]. During the traffic stops, motorists will be unable to enter or exit the Thruway system at the Kingston Interchange."
These stops should only last about 20 minutes.
You may be asking yourself why these stops are needed to happen. According to the post, they will be installing an "overhead Cashless Tolling gantry in the toll plaza."
The Town Clerk account answered a question in the comment section asking if this was just replacing EZ Pass Gates. The Town Clerk account answered saying "By the end of 2020, the Thruway plan is to be totally cashless. Not sure if EZ Pass will be mandatory, but if not, those license plates will be tracked at the interchanges and motorists will be billed in the mail."
As of right now, these stops are to go on as scheduled, however, they are weather pending. If you are traveling in the area and want to keep up to date on the schedule follow along on the Town of Ulster Town Clerk page on Facebook.